Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Spotty shower and thunder chances with increasing heat, humidity

Friday could bring triple-digit heat indices

FRI hi index
Forecast highs and heat indices Friday afternoon
NOAA via pivotal weather

Some spotty showers and thunder are possible Wednesday. Dew points will continue to rise, making for a hot Thursday and Friday. Better chances of thunder develop Friday night into Saturday. 

Spotty thunder chances with increasing dew points and temperature 

A dwindling area of showers continues to move east in northeast Minnesota and southeast Minnesota into western Wisconsin Wednesday morning. Isolated to spotty thunder is again possible later in the day, especially across northeast Minnesota.

wed prec 822
Forecast simulated radar 10 a.m. Wednesday through 10 p.m.
NOAA via pivotal weather

Afternoon highs Wednesday will be in the low to mid-80s across southern and western Minnesota with 70s north with a mix of clouds and sun as morning clouds decrease.

wed 333
Forecast highs Wednesday
National Weather Service

Wildfire smoke continues to make the air quality unhealthy at times for northeast Minnesota and northern Wisconsin. 

Check the latest air quality conditions, alerts and forecasts here:

It gets even steamier Thursday and Friday. Dew points will climb into the low 70s for most of central and southern Minnesota Thursday into Saturday morning. 

Combine those dew points with afternoon highs in the upper 80s and low 90s Friday and that means Friday afternoon heat indices could be in the 95 to 100 degree range.

FRI hi index
Forecast highs and heat indices Friday afternoon
NOAA via pivotal weather

Most shower and thunderstorm chances will be isolated to spotty Wednesday night into Thursday and Friday, but a better, more widespread chance of scattered storms develops Friday night into Saturday as a weak cool front moves in.

wed-sat prec 823
Forecast simulated radar 10 p.m. Wednesday through 12 p.m. Saturday
NOAA via pivotal weather

The risk of severe weather will grow over the next few days. There’s already a potential for severe storms Friday night into Saturday, especially for the western half of Minnesota where a slight (level 2 of 5) to enhanced (level 3 of 5) risk is forecast.

spc
Severe weather risk forecasts for Wednesday into Wednesday night, Thursday into Thursday night and Friday into Friday night (left to right)
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center via pivotal weather

Temperatures and dew points will only drop slightly for Sunday and Monday behind Saturday’s weak cool front. Northern Minnesota will get a bit more relief.